Minor Planet Centre

Minor Planet Centre Latest News

Recently, the Minor Planet Centre (MPC) announced 15 new moons had been found, four around Jupiter and 11 around Saturn. 

About Minor Planet Centre

• It is the world’s primary repository for all observations of small bodies in the solar system.
• It is Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts
• It operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory under the International Astronomical Union
• Process
  • When astronomers discover a new object, they send their data to the MPC, where experts verify the observations and calculate the object’s orbit.
  • If the discovery is new, the MPC assigns it an official designation.

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Functions of Minor Planet Centre

• It plays a vital role in tracking asteroids, comets, and the moons of the outer planets.
• One of the MPC’s most critical jobs involves monitoring near-earth objects (NEOs).
•  NEOs are space rocks that could potentially threaten the earth.
• MPC maintains a large database that allows scientists to predict if and when a rock might come close to the earth.
• The MPC also facilitates communication within the global scientific community by publishing electronic circulars that alert researchers to new discoveries or interesting celestial events.

Source: TH